QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE PERFORMANCE ON REYS 15-ITEM TEST IN NEUROLOGICAL PATIENTS AND DISSIMULATORS

Although Rey's (1964) 15-Item Visual Memory Test (FIT) is frequently used to detect malingering of memory impairment, empirically based clinical guidelines for its use remain unclear. Two studies were conducted comparing the performance of neurological patients and subjects instructed to simulate memory impairment (dissimulators) on several quantitative and qualitative variables derived from the FIT. In Study 1, number of rows in proper location best discriminated groups. A cutoff of < 2 rows correct produced a sensitivity of 47% and a specificity of 97%. The same cutoff applied to Study 2 yielded a sensitivity of 64% and specificity of 96%. The cutoff proposed produced higher specificity than other cutoffs indicated in the literature and suggests that cutoffs currently used for the FIT may incorrectly identify a high proportion of neurological patients as malingerers.